An attempted vehicle theft in Bremerton was thwarted by a mother who fought off the suspect while a 2-year-old was inside. The suspect was arrested after a lengthy chase by police. Bremerton Police DepartmentCourtesy

An attempted vehicle theft in Bremerton was thwarted by a mother who fought off the suspect while a 2-year-old was inside. The suspect was arrested after a lengthy chase by police. Bremerton Police DepartmentCourtesy

Mom fights a carjacker trying to take her truck and her child, video shows

A woman fought off a carjacker inside the cab of a moving truck with her 2-year-old child inside on Wednesday afternoon in Bremerton, Washington, police say.

Video of the incident captured by a surveillance camera shows a shirtless man run up to the truck, while the woman was outside. The suspect entered the car and closed the door. The woman was behind the truck when she noticed and rushed to open the door and jump inside. The video shows the truck lurch forward, then backward before turning sharply to the left and driving across the street and onto the sidewalk.

The 24-year-old suspect, who reportedly punched the woman in the face, then ran from the vehicle. The entire incident lasted less than 30 seconds.

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Two Bremerton police officers on bicycles were nearby and responded at about 4:25 p.m. and soon found the suspect running away from the scene. The officer gave chase when the man refused to stop. During the chase, the suspected reportedly tried to access a parked vehicle. Later he jumped in the bed of a truck that was stopped at a red light at the intersection of 11th Street and Warren Avenue.

He fled from the truck when police arrived and ran into a house on the 1000 block of Warren Avenue. When the occupants confronted him and order him to leave, the suspect approached them with a gold key in his hand. But when he heard sirens, he fled again. Moments later, the suspect slipped and fell and was captured by police.

Police say the suspect may have been under the influence of drugs. When paramedics attempted to treat the suspect, he reportedly kicked one of them in the face. He was booked into Kitsap County Jail.

“Thankfully, the female victim was successfully able to fight off the suspect’s attempts to steal her truck,” concluded the statement released by the department.